Sunday, November 30, 2008

I read a touching story in Cookie magazine this month ( don't ask me WHEN I find time for magazines...you can guess where my library is these days. Let's just say it's not a comfy armchair, more like a hard porcelain seat...). A family was faced with the devastating news that their 2 1/2 year old has a rare pediatric cancer. During their search for treatment they found that less than 10% of all cancer research and dollars are dedicated to specific pediatric cancers. Most of these cancers do not affect adults and are unique to children.

They decided that they would do something to help. Being marketers by profession they decided to bake cookies and sell them, donating all proceeds to pediatric cancer research. Today, 2 years later their son is cancer free and they have raised half a million dollars to research and treat similar cancers.

You can go to their web site and buy cookies as gifts this holiday season. 75% of the cost of all cookies is donated. This is a tax deductable gift (but ask your Accountant, don't take my word for it).

You can also bake your own cookies and hold a bake sale at school, work or wherever. They will give you signs and whatever you need to promote your sale. After your sale you send them the proceeds which they then use for cancer research.

Such a simple idea. Such a great idea! Check out their site and read all about them. Cookies For Kids Cancer.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

For winning the 2008 Henry Mancini Award for Emerging Film and TV Composer by the ASCAP Foundation. You are so awesome and we are all so proud of you!

CONGRATULATIONS BRYAN AND SAM!

For getting engaged and I can't wait for your wedding in December.

>>>>>>

Holiday time fast approaches. My, my, my...I just can't understand where the time goes.

Mama is back at work. Working hard and glad for it. Especially in these times that are so difficult for so many. I just read that Google is laying off 10,000 people. That is a little too close to home for me. If Google gets hit that means my industry is not insulated from this economic downturn. So far, only one client has had to pull their advertising. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Business travel has been difficult for me as I have to lug the Medela Pump in Style with me everywhere I go. Silas is allergic (or has a sensitivity) to milk and we have not found a formula that he can tolerate yet. So I pump in my office. I pump at airports, restaurants and in the bathrooms of Fortune 500 companies. I never thought I would be THAT woman. But there you have it. I am.

The big boys are, well, BIG. I can't believe how they are really boys now and not babies at all. They are loud and rough and full of energy. I mean exploding with the stuff. They don't even sit still when they sleep. I oftentimes bump into one or the other of them in the hallway when I make my midnight trip to the loo. One or both of them are often found sleeping on the floor of thei bedroom (the fact that I removed their beds doesn't help that fact, but that's another post) or sleeping on the couch in their room. Sometimes Waylon will be on the floor in MY room when I get up to feed the baby at 3am.

Speech therapy is going well and both boys know a good number of words now. Reminding them to use their words has become another part time job. Tantrums have died down some but we are definitely still in the terrible 2s.

Silas is a cool little dude. He is so mellow - except when daddy has him. When he is with mama he is all smiles and bubbles. When he is with dada he is a screaming ball of spitfire. No idea why. Really. Just something about Ernie that sets him off. I think he can smell the terror on Ernie when I leave for work in the morning and he plays off of that.

All in all, we feel very blessed this Thanksgiving season. I want to thank all of you who have helped us make it through yet another year of fun and mayhem here in CT. We are looking forward to continuing along the same lines for years to come. Sort of a restless abandon, ALL THE TIME. Nothing like living on the edge.....I am doing my best not to jump.